Toll-slip platen



April 26,1927, 1,625,802

H. A. -FOOTHORAP TOLL SLIP PLATTEN Filed may 14, 1925 4 shams-sheet 1 artozwu April 26, 1927, 1,625,802

H. A. FOOTHORAP TOLL SLP PLATEN Filed May 1,4, 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 /fwg .April 26, 1927.

H. A.-FooTH oRAP TOLL smD PLATEN me@ May 14, 1925 Eggs 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 froznc 1,1

H. A. FOOTI-IORAP TOLL-SLIP PLATEN April 26, 1927.

Filed May. 14, 1925 4 Sheet-Sheet 4 NNI Patented Apr. 26, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY A. Foo'rrioRAP, or HARRISBURG, rENNsYLvANrA,nssIGNoR To ELLIOTT- FisnnR COMPANY, or NRW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION or DELAWARE.

TOLL-'SLIP PLA'RN.

Application filed May 14, 1925.

This invention relates to flat platen typewriters and more particularly to what is known as a toll slip platen, especially adapted for the manipulation and printing of the toll slips or statements' of telephone companies.

rlhe object of the `invention is to equip a flat platen typewriter with a small platen which may be manipulated with great speed inthe printing of toll slips.

The invention consists, generally, in providing, in lieu of the usual line space frame of a flat platen typewriter, a special support for both the typewriter carriage and a inovable toll slip platen; the fermer being inovable as usual for letter spacing and `the platen being s'liiftable for line spacing by the manipulation of a line space key, and automatically movable to an unobstructed loading position upon the `'operation of 'a release key.

Another object of the invention is to 'equip a platen 'of this character with ordinary work holding means controlled the p'osition of the platen and designed to engage and securely hold the worl; as the platen is `moved away from the loading position.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view ofthe platen and carriage support with the carriage omitted andthe platen *shown in the loading position.

Figure 2 is a similar vieu7 with the platen pushed back to a writing position.

Fignre 'f3 is a view similiar to Figure 2, but showing the platen at its rearward limited movement.

Figure t is a transverse section on the line eee-l of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a view on an enlarged scale to show more clearly the `action of the Iline space mechanism.

Figure 6 is a sectional elevation illustrating the operation of the line space inechanism.

Figure 7 is a detailedseotional view of the `platen and the work clamp. y

l indicates the base or support formed with 'a platen guideway 2 extending 'from front u) back, and freut, and rear transverse guide rails 3 and 4; for the "support `of the usual traveling carriage 5 df a flat platen Atypewriter. The oairiage indicated diagram# matically in Figure 2 Ais that of the well known Elliott-Fisher' billing machine, which serial No. eases.

in the present instance is connected by a tape 'o with a Carriage propelling drum 7 of usual form which in the present structure is 'mounted at 'the end of the rear carriage guide Ll'.

Mounted to slide in the guideway 2 "is a flat platen 8, a portion of which is provided with the usual rubber facing 9 upon which is intended to be imposed the toll bill or other work sheetA 10. Disposed at the rear end of the elfective or rubber covered por- A tion ost the platen is a top clamp 11. This clamp is carried by a hinge bar or pintle 12, mounted in bearing lugs ,13 and secured by one 'or more spiral springs 14 which tend to urge the cla-mp 11 toward the platen. In other words the clamp l1 is a spring clamp and at the left hand end of its pintle 12 is a `earn arm l5, which, when the platen ap- I Jroaches the forward or loading limit of its moi'feinent, is designed to ride upon a releasn'ig `cam 16 secured at the front edge 'of the support 1. Thus when the platen is in its 'forward 'or loading position the clamp 11 will have been automatically raised and the written toll slip thereby released to permit its removal and the reloading of the platen with a new slip. If, as is entirely possible,- a number of toll slips are imposed on the platen and held by the clamp, the frequent reloading' of the platen is unnecessary as the release of the` "clamp upon the forward movement of the platen will `enable the operator to remove the top or written toll slip and immediately return the platen for` the writing of the next slip.

Obviously, as the platenis moved back from the loading position shown in Figure l, the Cain arm 15 will be withdrawn from the cani 16 so that after slight movement o'f the platen the clamp will be restored to its clamping position by its springs. rThe retraction of the platen to the loading position from any writing position is effected by platen retracting spring 17 located below .the support l and secured at one end therete as indicated at 18. At its opposite end the spring is secured to a hook 19 formed at the end of an arm 20 extending from the lower end of a shaft 21". passed through the support 1 and provided at its "upper end with a comparatively long platen retracting arm 22. The arm 22 is provided at its freev end with a :slot 23 through which 4is extended a pin 2i'carriedby the rear end of the platen. The spring 17 exerts a constant tension, tending to urge the platen to its forward or loading position. During the Writing range ot' movement of the platen, however, it is held against movement by a holding dog 25 which co-operates with a ratchet feed rack 26, secured to and extended along the right hand edge of the platen. The dog 9.5 is formed at one end of a platen release lever 27, iulcrumed atQS on the support and having at its front end a release key 29 convenient to the hand otl the operator. The release lever 27 is normally retained in its active or holding position by a spring 30, but by pressing the key 29 may be swung to release the platen by withdrawing the holding dog 25 and thus permit a retraction oi the platen to the loading position under the impulse of the spring 17. Then the platen has been pushed back after reloading, to the tirst Writing position, as shownin Figure 2, it will beheld as stated, by the holding dog During the subsequent operation of the machine the platen may be pushed back by the operator one line space at a time, this operation being accompanied by the clicking of the dog 25 over the teeth of the rack. It is contemplated to perform this line space operation by means of line spacemechanism including a line space key 31 carried at the front end of a line space lever 32, located adjacent to one end of aline space yoke 33 urged in one direction by a spring 34, and extended across the support 1 in rear of the carriage guide 4.

The yoke 33 is provided, as shown in Figure 6, With a depending arm 85, adapted to engage a projection 36 on a lever 37, tulcrumed at one end on the support 1 and connected by a draw rod 38 with a pivoted pawl carrier 39 equipped with a retracting spring 4() and with a stop arm 41 that contacts with the support and limits the rectractile movement ot' the carriage. Pivoted at the end of the carrier 34e is a feed paWl 12, coacting with the feed rack 26 and having a tail piece 43 in cooperative relation with a Fixed pin 44. rlending constantly to urge the feed pa-Wl toward the rack is a spring 45 secured to the tail piece near the pin -i-l. which in the normal position ot the platen teed mechanism holds the :teed dog in its disengaged position as shown in Figure 5.

Assuming that a line has been Written and that it is desired to feed the platen rearward one line space, the line space key 31 is depressed thus rocking the yoke S3 and causing the arm 35 to move rearwardly. The engagement ot' the arm 35 with the lever 37 will swing the latter and With it the carrier 39. rl`his movement ot the parts as shown in Figure 5 from the full to the dotted line position, Will permit the feed dog 4:2 to first more into engagement with the rack and then advance the rack and platen until the that a retraction ot' the platen from its new position will be prevented by the holding dog Q5 which clicks over the teeth of the feed rack as the platen is :ted and is always in position to hold the platen when the latter is released by the withdrawal ol the feed dog.

The retraction ot' the line space key and its associated parts is limited by a stop t7 extended trem the rear carriage guide and engaged by the arm 35.

It Will appear from what has been said,

that in operation a toll slip is placed on the platen occupying the position shown in Figure 1, after which the platen is moved back, the iirst position oi this movement serving to drop the clamp 11 automatically to hold the Work and further backward movement serving to present the toll slip under the printing point of the typewriter and to bring the feed rack into engagement with the holding dog. As the writing progresses the line space feed ot the platen is eiiected by manipulating the line space key and when the operation has been completed the pressing of the release key 29 results in the release of the platen and permits it to shoot torward to the loading position under the impulse of the platen retracting spring to auto matically render the platen accessible and to automatically release the Work supported thereon.

Itis thought that from the foregoing the construction, operation and advantages ot my present invention will be clearly understood, but I reserve. the right to effect such changes and modifications of the illustrated structure as may fall within the scope ot the protection prayed.

l'Vhat I claim is:

1. In a machine of the class described, the combination With a support having transverse carriage guides and a platen guideway in right `angular relation, of a platen movable in the guideway, a platen retracting `arm carried by the support and connected to the platen, a spring for moving the arm, a platen line spacing mechanism and platen holdingand releasing mechanism including a release key located in iront ol the support.

2. The combination with a support, having carriage guides and a platen guideway disposed in right angular relation, of a rock shaft extended through the support, an arm extended from the rock shaft, a platen movable in the guideway and having slot and pin connection with the arm, a spring tending to urge the arm in one direction and platen feeding and holding mechanism.

3. `The combination with a support, having carriage guides and a platen guideill] 'Way disposed in right angular relation, of a platen movable in the guicleway, a rock shaft extending vertically through the support and having arms located above and below the support7 a platen retracting .spring connected to one .ot the arms, a connection between the other arm and the platen, and platen feeding and holding mechanism.

1l. The combination with a support, having carriage guides and a platen guideway disposed in right angular relation, of a platen movable in the guideway, platen retracting means and platen feeding means, said feeding means including a key operated yoke disposed parallel with the carriage guides, an arm extended from said yoke, a pawl carrier operated by said arm, a l'eed paWl movable With the pavvl carrier and a rack fixed to the platen and engaged by the feed paWl.

5. ln a machine of the class described, the combination with a support, having carriage guides and a platen guideway disposed in right angular relation, of a platen movable in the guideway, platen retracting means, a pawl carrier located beyond one .side of the platen and equipped With a feed paWl, a rack tixed to the platen to be engaged by the payvl7 a lever located adjacent to the rear of the support and connected to the pawl carrier to swing the saine, a line space key and an arm operated by the line space key to swing the lever last named.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature.

HARRY A. FOOTHORAP. 

